This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C xc2xa7119 from an application entitled Computer User Interface earlier filed in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Oct. 16, 1998, and there duly assigned Ser. No. 98-43761 by that Office.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a computer system and, more particularly, to a computer user interface.
2. Background of the Invention
As semiconductor technology has been developed, a computer system has been conspicuously developed from the beginning. Additionally, a user interface technique of a computer system has been developed. There are various system operating methods in accordance with an operating system installed in a computer system and a user interface mode supported by an application program.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a conventional portable computer. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional portable computer 10 comprises a computer body 12 and a display panel 11 hinge-combined with the body 12. The computer body 12 includes a keyboard device 11 and a pointing device 14. Accordingly, user interface devices of the computer system 10 are the keyboard device 13 and a pointing device 14.
A current operating system installed in a computer system mainly takes up a GUI (graphic user interface) mode. For example, a known operating system takes up two methods to execute an application program, as follows:
(1) A user selects an icon by means of a keyboard device and a pointing device, so that an application program is executed; and
(2) A user selects an application program by means of a widows explorer, so that the application is executed.
Since this operating system adopting the GUI mode can basically display icons corresponding to each application program on a screen, a user can conveniently execute the corresponding application program. Various ways of executing, or launching, an application program are depicted by U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,455 to Masao Suga et al. entitled Portable Computer Which Has A Task Selection Menu Allowing Easy Selection And Execution Of Arbitraiy Application Software Without Entering A Command; U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,534 to Ronald Jason Barber et al. entitled Multiple Display Pointers For Computer Graphical User Intetfaces; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,948,084 to Ho Jin Ha entitled System For Remotely Controlling A Computer Having A User Intetface Software Communication With A Device Driver And Driving An Application Software To Perform Operation Based On A Combined Key Signal.
When a large number of application programs are installed in a computer system, a user""s desktop becomes busy and cluttered with multiple icons. A user can set a computer system lest an icon corresponding to an application program be displayed on a screen. However, this makes it very vexatious for a novice user to select and execute the application program by means of a keyboard device or a pointing device one by one.
In order to remedy the foregoing drawback, a current computer system is mounted with a so-called xe2x80x9ceasy buttonxe2x80x9d for convenient execution of a specific program. Easy buttons are located on the outside of a computer body, so that an application program can be conveniently executed when a user only presses the button. In a computer system having a remote control function, the easy buttons may be mounted upon a remote control device. Since each of the easy buttons corresponds to a specific program, the corresponding program can be executed and ended by means of the easy buttons.
The number of the easy buttons is quite limited in spite of the convenience. Since computer system makers set the corresponding relation between easy buttons and application programs, a user cannot change the relation. Although the easy buttons corresponding to the application programs can be mounted on a computer system as many as possible, these buttons lead to inconvenience and inefficiency.
It is therefore an object of the present invention is to provide computer user interface which can conveniently drive an application program installed in a computer system.
A computer user interface of this invention includes input means, conversion means, and executing means. The input means including a plurality of input buttons is aimed at executing a designed application program installed in the computer system by pressing the buttons. The conversion means is aimed at sensing an input of the input means and then converting the input into a predetermined scan code, thereby inputting the input into the computer system. The executing means is aimed at executing the designated application program in response to the input.
In the foregoing computer user interface, the input means includes first, second, and third buttons. The first and the second buttons are aimed at selecting an application program. The third button is aimed at commanding the selected application program to be executed.
In the foregoing computer user interface, the executing means includes as follows:
input decision means for sensing that the conversion means outputs a scan code in response to the input of the input means, thereby outputting data corresponding to the input scan code; and
means for receiving the data from the input decision means and, thereby, executing the application program being installed in the computer system.
Herein, the means for receiving has a first operation mode for executing an application program being designated by the input means and a second operation mode being able to select a menu of the application by mean of the input means.
Herein, the means for receiving includes as follows:
a program selector for executing an application program being selected in the first operation mode; and
means for supplying a message to the program selector in the first operation mode and supplying a message to an application program in the second operation mode, the message corresponding to data being input from the input decision means.